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Bill W. and Dr. Bob @ Center Stage Theater ~ April 11, 2013

Keeping It Real

I love me some theater. Center Stage Theater, located on the terrace
above Paseo Neuvo, brings some of the best and most unusual plays to Santa Barbara.
“Bill W. and Dr. Bob” not being the exception.

For those of you not familiar with the title or the topic, Bill W. and
Dr. Bob were the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. I am familiar with the story
and was completely intrigued with how this true story about two exceptional men
who have touched so many people’s lives would be portrayed on stage.

It was very well done. The play was split into two story lines, acted
out somewhat simultaneously. Bill’s struggle played out on the left, intermittently
fading into to Dr. Bob’s struggle on the right, ultimately merging when the
characters meet and their story together begins.

The small cast consisted of 6 people: Mr. & Mrs. Bill W. (John
Brindle & Jean Hall), Dr. & Mrs. Bob (Tim Whitcomb & Kathy Marden),
“Man” and “Woman” (Ray Wallenthin &
Kathleen Leary). Ray Wallenthin played
all the non-title male roles (“Man”), slipping easy into each role. Some roles
were repeat characters and Wallenthin was able to produce enough character for
each that I could easily keep them apart (no small feat). It was a testimony to
true acting. Kathleen Leary did the same for the female roles.

The characters of Bill and Dr. Bob, as well as their wives, were well
acted and authentic. When I asked John Brindle after the play what was most challenging
about playing this part, he replied that is was to “convey alcoholism
realistically with no melodrama, pulling from things hard to handle to make the
character deep.” And deep it was.